CT evaluation of colorectal carcinoma correlation in operation and histopathology / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose:To assess the value and limitation of CT in staging colorectal carcinoma.Methods:CT was performed prior to surgery in 46 patients with 48 colorectal carcinomas for staging the tumor. The results were compared with those of surgical and pathological examinations in all cases in order to study the sensitivity of staging the tumor before operation.Results:(1) CT depicted 31 of 33 pathologically confirmed T4 lesions (beyond the serosa) in all 48 primary carcinomas,appearance of T4 lesion were defined as either strands of soft tissue or nodules into the peri-colorectal fat ,or hyperdensity of pericolorectal fat. (2)Pathologic examination of lymphatic metastases unfirmed 20 of 40 patients who underwent complete resections, and these lymph nodes were not larger than 1cm in 17 patients.The sensitivity is 70%(14/20)and the specificity 85%(17/20)respectively in detection of lymphatic metastases for CT. (3) The accuracy of CT staging was 81.25%,77.50% in T,N respectively in this group of patients,and CT showed all 4 cases of liver metastases and 6 of 7 peritoneal metastases. Conclusions:CT is accurate in detecting T4 stage of colorectal carcinoma. It is effective in depicting local extension and distant metastases. The value of CT for early T staging and N staging in colorectal carcinoma is limited.